Vulcanizing system



Jan; 6; 1925. r 1,521,851 A. O. 'ABBOTT, JR

VULCANIZING SYSTEM 2 Sheets-Sheet Filed Aug. 18, 1923 INVENTOR. ADRIANQflasorgJa 1/1 '74. TTORNEY.

' A. O. ABBOTT, JR

' VULCANIZING SYSTEM 2 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Aug. 18. 1925 z E d n T. MwB \m m j 2 J m im 5i.. U 3% cm flJZ m .7 J. r i M z 7 fl/JA Toma,

To all whom it may concern:

Patented Jan. 6, 1925.

AUNT-ED"STATES? ABBoTT, .13., or DETROIT, moment, Ass IGNoRZ'Toe wmGnT,

ORPORATION: OF .MIGHIGAN- vurcamzme SYSTEM.

Application filed August 18 for curing tires.

' Heretofore, tires, .both solidaand-pneu-1 matic, have beencured inFrench; presses] which consists of vertically disposedves'sels with along-stroke ram carryinga lower platen that has been raised to the,mouth or top of the vessel and then gradually-lowered as the molds areplaced therein one by one I so the upper platen being constituted by ahea plate or. closure for the vessel; The molds have been emptiedandvrefilled in a great variety of ways and with many difi'erent"appliances. Recently, conveyer'systems' for: carrying the moldsarouudthe press-rooirr horizontally have been proposed and used.Generally, however, these systems require. 3 either more labor or morefloor space than,

desirable and take too long to load and load the vuleani'zing presses.

The present invention aims to provide a new. and improved vulcanizingsystem in which a press-load of molds may be cured as a unit, may besustained always in a vertical posi'tion and' portably, may be connectedup. for manipulating and tested out for leakage away from; the olduncomfortably hot vulcanizing presses, and may be of a design increasingthe capacity -of the vulcanizing presses, i. e., the number of tiresthat may. be'vuleanized'in one heat. Fur-- ther, it aims't-o provide asystem economical of floor space. Other advantages will apear. P Withthe illustrated embodiment in mind and without intention tolimit'n'iorethan .is required by theprior art, the system maybe described, briefly,as one comprisingone or more vulcanizing presses and one or more.

set-up or assembling presses with means intermediate (that is,operatively intermedi- Y 7 appearing m eleva 192a Serial ire-558,651

;-;;-molds,' asa; unit, from the vulcanizingi presses toxthe setuppressesand vice versa. i Themolds'employed may be and preferably aren'ta duplex type all of which excepting the' end. sections are hollowed'out :on their the totalfnumber; fin sections for loading awujlc'arhzmpress need; only .be one 11pm: 111 number than the tires cured in one apress-load or batclilof trated ,inv the aecompa'nyin' which:-

. Figure I'is a""di agramma sectional-elevation of acompletevulcanizmgfsys em;

Figure 2 is rra me m a nnynw of a set-up press;

Figure 3 is a verticalsectionof one of the mold sections takenin-the.pIane, -.approximately of the .line3-3 Figure 4-.';' i Figure fr-ant ary longitudinal section through -fe he moldzfsfections, showingtiregvc'asin' on sealing-rings and contaimngairbags onexmethod vof curigt r i I Figure 5sho ws'pn d 'ofa vulcanizing press mylongitudma 'section'-' with a .few molds-and. a. part 0 the manifoldvsystem Anenibodifhent'idi thlinvei tion is illusdrawings, in

- Figure G'isfa front-Hea s ing press, partly' brok-en away toillustrate the manifo d connections anda mono-rail suspension track; j v

, AndFigures 7. and'8- are diagrammatic plan views of two difl'erentarrangements of vulcanizing presses "a-ndgjset -up presses that msiy be;emp' eyed. Q 1

n the: drawings, the'vulcanizing resses are indicatedjgeneraly'by thenumera 1, the set-u trave lingcrane y the" numeral 3.

tion or a vulcanizpresses b the numeral- 2, and theopposite-faces sothat Vulcanizz'hg 'presssETheseare arranged I horizontally and' eachcomprises a' vessel or shell fppreferably cylindrical, which is closedatone end" by an 'end wall i5, to which "is'suitablysecured afluid'pressure c linder-= 6 operatively supportin a short-stro e ram-'7, carryinga movable p atenf8'. The weight of the vessel is )r itablysupported b blocks or footings 9.-

heother' end of t epress the two ty ies of presses for. transferring isadapted tobefclosedbyacover1O,whi ch 1 cover '10 which, molds,hereinafter fixed to the vessel 4. type may be locked in position behindthe projections 12,

known,'typical means for acthe cover 10.- Within and in the upper isprovided with a sealing strip or gasket 16.

Throug 1 theshell or cylinder 4, at a convenient Cpoint adjacent themouth thereof,

is passe a valve-controlled pipe 17 which is adapted to be connectedwith any suitable source of fluid pressure supply, the 1nner end of thisline terminating in a detachable coupling 18, which may be variouslyconstructed for quick connection to'a manifold, later to be described.

Set-up presses-These appearat the right in Figure-1 and parts -thereofin Fi ures 2 and 3. Each comprises an immovable head 19 carrying a fluidpressure cylinder 20, in

--which operates a short-stroke ram 21 carrying azmova'ble laten 22, thelatter preferably having a epending lug 23 tracking in a guide-way 24;fashioned in the head 19 and preventing turning of the platen. Forcooperation with the movable platen 22, there is provided at .theopposite end of the setup presses, any suitable form of platen that maybe shifted laterally in front of the movable platen 22. lVhile thissecond platen may be variously constructed and operatively supported, itis preferably made these is. of the in sections 25 of like construction.Each of Figure 3 and connected at its opposite ends by a pair of heavyrods 25 to the head 19, being hinged thereto, as indicated at 27, so asto permit spreading the platen sections away from each other and onopposite sides of the direction of movement of the molds when loadcd or'H'lOVQCl from the setup press. The weight of the platen sections 25- ispreferably borne by rollers 28 tracking a floor plate'29. An I-beamcentrally above each set-up press, one end thereof re ing on the/headif), and the other .end secured to a transverse beam 31.

The molda-VVhile any suitable form and construction of mold may beemployed. that illustrated in the drawings is preferred because moretires can be acconmiodated within a given size of vulcanizer therewith.The tires may be cured on air-bags, such as being preferably equippedwith.

' the press platens.

bar-like form appearing in 30 is supported indicated at 32, Figure 4, orwith fluid un- -der pressure in direct contact with the inte* rior ofthe casings, or on cores. The preferred form of molding equipmentcomprises a plurality of sections 33 and 34, the latter differing fromthe former only in being faced off on one side where they contact withThe intermediate, mold sections 33 are of duplicate construction andhollowed out on their opposite faces, as indicated at 35, so that eachsection forms or shapes the exterior of two adjacent tires or c;ings'36. While dowel pins may be employed to center the sections, Ipreferably shape their opposite sides near the tread with grooves 37and'annular bevelled ribs 38 shaped to fit within said grooves. Theinner peripheries of these mold sections may be variously of the tirecasings but for curing on air-bags, or gas direct, they are preferablyformed as shown so as to engage the margins or flanged portions 39 ofseahng-rings 40, the casings 36 being shown resting on the'flanges 39.The sections 33 are preferably apertnred, as indicated. at 4:1, to passbranches of a manifold, to be described. Each of the mold sections ispreferably equipped on one side with a pair of pins 42 for supportingthe casings temporarily and as a matter of convenience to the operativesnection with their manipulations. mold. sections are also preferablyrecessed, as at 43, to permit a hook 44 to be engaged with a cr0sspin45. Hooks 44 depend from carriages 46 having, preferably, a pair ofrollers 47 adapted to track the opposite lower flanged portions of theoverhead I-beams. In this Way, each mold section is supportedindividually, that is, independently of the other. The mold sections arealso .udapted to be locked or secured together so as to form a portableunit of all of the mold sections, or of such a number thereof as may beconveniently transferred. For locking the molds together and renderingthem portable as a unit, any suitable means may be used, such as thebooks 48, which are hinged to the shouldered portions 4!) of pins 50,the curved ends of the hooks being engaged about enlarged portions 51 ofthe pins 50 in the next mold section.

The manifold-.- not need to be employed within the broad aspects of theinvention, its use is preferred by many manufacturers and for a varietyof reasons. 'lherefore, pieferably, provisions is made for manifolding.For this purpose, a single pipe 52, closed at one end by a plug and atthe other by a valve 52', and having as many branch connections 53 inconsecured (preferably suivelled) thereto, as at 54, as there are tiresto be cured may be utilized. To sustain the pipe 52 during theassembling operations at the SGlLllI) press 2,

shaped to close oil the inside The Vhile a manifold does spool rolls 55may be provided onthe earriages 46. The branches 53 which may be made ofsome ductile material like copper or lead, pass through the holes 41provided 'in-the'sectionsand at their lower ends are" preferablyequipped with quick-operable connections or couplings 56 for placing thevto employ a number otvulcanizing presses and enough set-up presses toalways have .a

load of uncured articles ready to go into an empty vulcanlzing press.And, therefore, it

is preferable, 325 shown in the drawings, to employ another tracksection 58, wh1ch is. carried by the travelling crane 3, whichpreferably has supporting wheels 59 following rails 60, which aresupported on I-beams 31 and 31, these latter in turn being supported Iby a suitably constructed-steel frame-work' indicated at 61. Theportable track'58 may be moved by any suitable means, suchgas thoull-ch'ain 62 turningthe-whe'els59, so as to me it up with eitherofthe'track se'c tions 15 undid); To com let'e the ov' rheadlsysteiiij'fiand'allowt e' ne'ce'ss" cuts of thevulcanizing press coveitional traek'section63 is' prefer-ab! ded'between seotion's'15 and-"'5f'being made for moving this t'racli 3from a position in alignment to-"aot obstructin the mountain f0 er lO. in 1 place; This-may be doney's'uitable tireLhas been mounted in position, the nextij sectlonispried apart and moved up, against way, as by mounting the track-section63 on a swivel 641, supported fem il be m 31! as clearly shown in Figure,of the drawings Operation-The use and ,operationof' the system '-is-,believed to.be,6bvious from the drawings and preceding description.Brief- 1y, a batch of the molds are emptied of t ieir cured tires at theset-up press .2, Whose platen22 is retracted, and greenor uncured tiresmounted on cores or air-bags, orseallug-rings such as at 40, positionedbetween the sections. Each mold section being-inde .pen'dently sustainedon the swivelled hooks 44 and carriages 46 may be sepanated'from itsneighbor so as to permit introduction and removal of the tires. Theseparation need only bewide enough to slipthe'tires to and from thecavities between an adjay cent pair of mold-sections. 'When the green itto hold the tire in place. The cured tire thus exposed in the nextcavity" is removed and replaced by a reen tire., The branches 53 of themanifold are connected up with the air-bag or sealing-ring, as the casemay be, ready for the application of fluid under pressure therewithinhThese operations are continued until the entire batch of curved tireshas been replaced by green tires. These operations are more fullydisclosed in my prior application Serial No. 595,050, filed October 171922, to which reference is made. Themolds are locked together with thehooks 48. after the ram 22 has been closed upon. the "batch so as tobring the molds tightly into nested relation, as shown in Figures 1 and4 of the drawings. Then, if desired, the operator may temporarilyconnect'the main header 52 with an outside source ofpressure to test themanifold for leakage .If there is any fault in the assemblagmit can beattended to by parting the sections where the fault lies and remedyingit. If none, the pressure can be lowered to a safe'amount orentirelyrelieved,

The completely prepared batch of molds, as a unit, or in .units, maythen-be. shifted from the. set-up press 2 onto the .shiftable tracksection 58. The travelling: crane 3 is moved to a position-adjacent andin line with anecmp'ty vulcanizingpress 1,-ithe swivelled section 63adjusted, and the molds moved into the empty vulcanizingpress.

If the, molds thuspositio'ned inthe vulca-niz'ing press 1 have beenprepared for I 'manifolding, their header 525s connected up (by means ofthe coupling. 18.- -0'n the -inner end of the pipeline"17) withanioutside source of fluid pressure supply. At

this time, the valve in the line 17 stands closed. After making'theconnectionythe valve 52 in the header. 52 is opened The "Valve52'permitsaf mOderate amount of pressure fluid to be retained onthe-casings,' jpr air-bags, when used,=after the manifold- .jmgconnections: assembled in the set-up press 2 have been tested forleakage. -But after the molds 'hav eb'een'positioned in the vultumizingress 1,,and before closing the same, the va ve 52 must be opened so thattlie supply'of internalafluid pressure during vulcanizationmaybecontrolled by operation of. the valve outside the press and inrthel'lin e I17. Theseoperations performed, the swivelled tracksection63 is turned'out. --of the way and the cover -]0 lowered and locked inposition behind the projections'lz. Then the ra-m '7 is operated-an'd'the molds clamped s'o' as ltd-relieve the hooks 48 of strain during thecuring'ope'rations; ;Then the l ne 17"is openedand a wall-compactingpressure'of around 290" or more pounds to the-squ are inchexerted on"thecasings' durmg their vulcamz'ation. 'If desired, to guard against'chance"failure of the fluid pressure molds in their clampedrelation. Similarstrut-s (5 t may be provided on the set-up press. It will be noticedthat the struts I (34: engage the mold directly and the struts 64 engagebehind themolds down,

' available space is limited.

the movable platen 22. It is, of course, innnaterial whether the strutsblock the molds or'the platens of the two types of presses.

After a load of tires in the press have been vulcanized, the pressuresupplied to the interior of the tire casings is turned oil by operationof the valve in the line 17. he vulcanizing presses may be filled withwater after the, curing operation to cool as heretofore. After drawingoff the water, the cover 10 of the vulcanizing press is unlocked andmoved aside, and the cured batch of tires in the molds pulled out andtransferred to one of the setup presses.

In Figure 7 of the drawings, a layout is shown with the vulcanizingpresses 1 and the set-up presses 2. arranged in a row on one side of thepath of the travelling crane 3. This arrangement is suitable where theThe arrangement shown diagrammatieall y in Figure 8 is the same as thatillustrated in Figure'l, the vuleanizing presses 1 being on one sideofthe path of the travelling crane 3 andthe set-up presses 2. on the otherside. It will be understood, of course, that the general layout may bevaried widely but that care should be taken to provide working space onboth sides of the set-up presses 2 so.that operators may have freeaccess to the molds for manipulation thereof.

It isto be understood that various changes 1nay be made withoutdeparting from the hciples of the invention above described inconnection with the preferred construction. -In its broadest aspects,the invention is not limited to the use of duplex molds as othersuitable and convenient types may be used if required by the equipmenton hand or the needs of a manufacturer. Reference. should therefore bemade to the appended claims for anunderstanding'of the scope of theinvention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent is 1. A vul eanizing system comprising "a. horizontalheater for sub ecting molds to vulcamzmg treatment, a set-up press inwhich a batch of molds may be emptied and refilled, and meansintermediate the horizontal heater and the set-up press for transferringthe assembled batch of molds as a unit to and from the latter, and meansarranged lengthwise of the set-up press for supporting the molds invertical planes.

- :to form a portab e for transferring plurality 2. A vulcanizing systemcomprising a horizontal heater for subjecting articles in molds tovulcanizing treatment, a"s,et-'up press accessible for the manipulationof the molds, means for holding a batch of molds together to form aportable unit thereof, and means for transferring the portable unit ofmolds to and from the press.

3. A vulcanizing system comprising a press heater for subjectingarticles in molds to vulcanizing treatment, a set-up press accessiblefor the manipulation of the molds, means for holdin a batch of moldstogether unit thereof, and means the portable unit of molds to and fromthe press.

4. A vulcanizlng system comprising a horizontal vulcanizing chamber,having a fixed platen and apower operable platen, meanspermitting themoved from a position able platen to a position at one side thereof, aset-up press accessible for the manipulation of the molds, and means forholdm a batch of molds together to form a porta 1e unit thereof. 5. Avulcanizing system comprising a horizontal vulcanizing press forsubjecting articles in molds to heat treatment, a set-up pressaccessible for the manipulation of a of molds when positioned therewithin, said set-up press having fixed and movable platens the former ofwhich is in sections shiftable to opposite sides of the line of movementof the movable platen, a track for transferring a batch of molds-from.within the horizontal vulcanizing-press to fixed platen to be in linewith the mova plurality of sectional molds adapted to be locked togetherto form a portable unit for a press-load of articles to be cured, andmeans for sustaining a press-load of the sectional molds permitting themto be moved as a unit from the set-up press into the vulcanizing pressand vice "ersa.

7. A vulcanizing system comprising a horizontal vulcanizing pressadapted to be supplied with a heating medium, a set-up press havingplatens one of which is movable lengthwise the set-up press and theother of which is movable only laterally of the set-up press, a batch ofsectional molds, means for locking the sectional molds together to forma portable unit thereof, a header with a lurality of branchesconstituting a mani old, said branches having ends with detachableconnections for placing the header in communication with the interior ofarticles contained in said molds, means for sustaining the sectionalmolds and transferring them tion with ality e u l to the thickness ofthe molds for with the manifold as aJu'nit to and from the i .set-up andvulcanizing presses, and means within the vulcanizing' press forcoupling: the manifold -,to a source'otiluid pressure supplylocated'outside offthe vulcamzing press 1 Q Y 8. A.vulcanizingflsystemf'jcomprisinga plurality 'ofhorfiz'ontal vulcanizingpresses, a plurality "of setup presses, each of said presses beingequipped with latens for clamping molds together, over ead' track'swithin the vulcanizing presses and above the set-up presses, a pluralityof sectional molds,'.imeans;for movabl sustaining the molds from saidtracks, an means for transferringa batch of molds to and from thevulcamzing presses and the set-up presses; said last-namedmeansincluding a shiftable track section. v q

9. A vulcanizing system comprising. a plurality of horizontalvulcanizing presses, a. plurality of set-up presses, each of'saidpresses being equipped with platens for clam in'g' ;molds together,overhead tracks. withm tlie,vulcanizing presses and above theset-up'presses, a plum ity of sectional molds, -means formo'vablysustaining the molds -from'said tracks, and means for transferring a batchof molds m: and from thewvul V v 'zmanently closed at oneend and adapted to canizing presses and the set up presses,fsaidlast-named means including a sh i ft-able track section, and aswivell'ed tracks'eetion' located in front of. each} yulcanizingpress' f1 .vn niiin ystem 's'ie l p' plurality-{of ontal vul ani ingreSsea-aplurality ,of so presses eachtofwhich is A Y accessible j {f,or Imanipulation; (if molds, Said sp ess sv n"- '1e hwi 1 able platen andasplit :p aten'whosti'sections are movablelateral meansfor'bloclring'the. movable platens-in the vulcanizing presses againstmovement in one direction after batch of molds have been "clamped,;and-- means for sustaining a plurality,ofrloldsf t itfffrom.the-set-'-siP 't s em ,"-the combina- I oi moldshlca'pable of. holding in then cavties," umber-of tires, said molds being;;prcvidediywithme ns for holdingthem assembled-to form a, portable; 1 unit thereof, of 'a manifoldingdevice por"- able with the moldsif' ompri'singfj a'main header of alength approximately equalm the total thickness of the assembled"molds,;"and branch connections joined permanently "to the header at intervalsapproximatel up pressestoift 11. In a V1110 ing their'caviti'es incommunication with :header. v v

12. In a vulcanizing system, the combination with duplex mold: sectionsfor receiving a multiplicity of tires, of a manifoldin'g defviceportable with the mold sections as a 'unit,'comprising a main header ofa length means located outside the press or empty j bled in" curingrelation outside the-press adapted to bridge the "gap between thetravelnot obstructing manipulation 'pfor the vulc approximately equal tothetotal thickness of the assembled together mold sections, and branchconnections joined permanently to the header at intervals approximatelyequal to the thickness of the mold sections, said mold sections carryingmeans for locking them together.

13. -In a vulcanizing system, a horizontal 'vulcanizingpress having aclosure head or platen and a movable platen for co-operation 7 therewithto clamp aplurality of molds to- 'gether, in' combination with aplurality of tire vulcanizin molds, means for holding aplurality of t1cm together in units, and means vfor loading the units into the pressor removing them therefrom.

14. In a vulcanizing system, the combina- 1 tion with a horizontalvulcanizin press, of.

ing and refillin g the molds while supported vertically and-"couplingthem to and uncou--; pling: them from a manifolding device hav--- ingbranch connections for each mold cavity ,1 whereby a batch of the moldsmay be assemand simultaneously tested for leakage be- ,fore introductioninto the vnl'canizing'press.

15,;Ina. vulcanizingsystem, a horizontal .vnlcanizing press comprisinga' vessel per-' be closed or opened at its opposite end ,pa

fluid pressure cylinder mounted inthe pershif ible platen, :incombination with an "overhead rail system having a section supported inthenpp'e'r part of the horizontal "vnlcanizin'g press,- a sectionsupported above theset-up press, 'a travelling section alignablewvith'either of the first-mentioned sections, "and an intermediate fmovable"section 1 ling section and the section within the vulcanizin'gfpress,said movable sectionfibeing shiftable from a position. completing thecon-1 v ti'nuity of the' overhead trackito a position of the 'coveranizingpress. y n a vulcanizing system having a hori-Iw vulcanizingpress with a movable over-and a set-up press with a laterally 5-;

shiftable platen, in combination with aii overhead rail system havingterminal sec tions within said vulcanizing press and above said set-uppress, and means for portably. sustaining molds from said rail system.

18. In a vulcanizing system having a hori- 130 zontal vulcanizing pressWi th e movgible cover and a set-up press with a laterally shiftableplaten, overhead rail sys in combination with an tem having terminalsectiqn's within said vulcanizing press and above said set-up press, an

d means for portably sustaining molds from said rail system, saidoverhead rail system ineluding ashiftable section for tern orarilybridging the open- ADRIAN o. ABBOTT, JR.

